If you’re like me, you go through some real seasonal depression. Over the years, I have found some ways to cope and I am getting much better at it. So I’d like to share my methods with you. Together we can not only get through this, but enjoy winter this year and for years to come!

Yea even you!

Just hear me out!

Take the time to read my 10 fail proof ways to get through the holiday and winter season (Keep in mind, you do have to actually try it for this to work. If you’re willing to be happy, please read on. I’ve got your back) and your life will be drastically improved:

10) When it comes to gift giving: Remember this… It’s only Money. Don’t have enough to give, those who care about you will care about the thoughtfulness you put forth, not how much cash you spent. They will realize money doesn’t matter. It’s friendship and family that people should care about, not a new iPhone 7. It’s love that makes the world go round.

9) While trees are dying and birds are migrating, pay attention to the living things that you do have around. Pay attention to animal and nature totems. Look for signs! For instance, I have seen lots of blue birds this week. To the Native American Indians, bluebirds signified happiness and new beginnings! Also, some say that if you see birds frequently, it is (in superstition terms of course) a sign that loved ones are looking down on you from the heavens. Flowers die, birds fly, but love lasts forever. Yes! I know I mentioned love in #10, but love truly can get us through this holiday season. It takes something that positive to make it through! You will persevere!

8) This gift giving season, weather you receive gifts or not, be thankful for what you do have. Don’t think you have much? The fact that you are reading my post lets me know that you at least have access to a phone or a computer. I was recently on my honeymoon in a third world country where they didn’t have wifi or phone reception any where! This year we have had natural disasters, tortured Lakota Indians and protestors, zika virus outbreaks, uproars in politics and with religious views… And we have survived. We are still here and strong! If that doesn’t make you thankful what will?!

7) Number 7.. This is a really important one. I learned this last year due to my amazing friends who forced me out of my comfort zone (guilt is a strong emotion and guilting me worked well). Make sure that you do your very best not to shell up and hide away in your house. It’s so easy to become reclusive when it’s cold outside and it gets dark early. Don’t do it! This plays a large factor in depression. If you don’t have many friends, hang out with the ones that you do have, or go out and join groups or hobbies so that you can make some. Go see your family. Go to concerts… Whatever you have to do! Just don’t stay at home alone for prolonged periods of time. Weather you do it on purpose or not, it can really play a toll on your psyche. And your happiness is precious! You deserve to be jolly this winter season!

6) When Christmas is over, take a deep breath and make time for a nap! Your body and mind will thank you.

5) Find creative and fun ways to stay warm. Try making new winter cocktails or baking new dishes. Don’t have all the ingredients, get creative! For instance; just yesterday, I didn’t have panko bread crumbs for my dinner I was making. So I took some flavored salad crutons that I had (store bought) and mixed them with flower to throw in my food processor. My food processor decided it didn’t work anymore. So I threw it all in a gallon size zip lock bag and stomped on it crushing them. I made the best dinner I have ever made and it was fun!

4) Turn off the television and take up some new hobbies or get better at the hobbies you are already into. Netflix binging (which I am guilty of myself) is often rewarding. But it’s only rewarding for a short period of time. If you get good at a hobby rather than watching someone on the tv who is good at their hobby, you will feel rewarded for life.

3) Lie to yourself. Yea I said it! I’m not saying to be a fake person. I’m saying to fake it till you make it! Now you may have just read that statement once or twice trying to figure out how in the heck it makes sense. Lie to yourself and fake it till you make it but don’t be fake? Hmmm…. What I mean is that you manifest your own destiny. If you want to be something, be it. It may be uncomfortable at first. So you have to convince yourself. I may not feel happy all the time, but I pretend sometimes whne I’m not. I don’t go overboard and tell people that I have no stress, I’m honest, but HI do make sure to have a positive attitude and outlook because fear gets us nowhere in this world! If you act happy you end up surrounded by happy people and circumstances, thus you end up being more happy! The same thing goes for anything you are trying to manifest. Get it?

2) Take care of your health. I’m not telling you not to splurge on your diet on occasion or rest when needed. I’m not telling you you have to become a body builder and a spokes person for Dr. Oz. But I am telling you this, take care of yourself. It’s hard when it’s cold out to have the energy to take proper vitamins, to be active, to not gorge on alchohol and sweets… But when you are getting out of hand on something, try and slow it down and treat yourself right. Because it is so easy to get sick during the winter (I get sick every winter!) I don’t want that for you all!

And finally! Numero uno! Read my blog! If you need someone to talk to, reach out to me. I’m here for you. Thank you for being a friend.

I hope you liked what you read! Stay warm happy healthy and stress free! Stay calm. We are all in this winter together.

Hello! My name is Copper. Yes that is my real name. If you don’t mind, maybe I’ll introduce myself later. I’ll let my blog do the talking for now and maybe you will like who I am as a person. No need for a long boring intro.

Today I am going on my very first diet and it is a week long diet. Just for a nice detox and a much needed boost. No supplements (other than my multivitamin), just eating what it says. It’s a 7 day diet and I actually have a little bit of a break before my next gig. (10 days). So I feel like I can do it! This way I won’t have temptation of free bar and food tabs and I may possibly have more exercise time… Anyway, we’ll see! I’ve never dieted before in my life other than this eating healthy kick I’ve been on which has lost me about a pound a week on average. Not complaining. Just want to try this one.

So this is how the diet goes, in a nutshell, you eat this soup every day and have a planned diet for each day of the week that you eat along with this soup:

The Sacred Heart Diet Soup Recipes

Most Popular Sacred Heart Soup Recipe

1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes

3 plus large green onions

1 large can of beef broth (no fat)

1 pkg. Lipton Soup mix (chicken noodle)

1 bunch of celery (1 head)

2 cans green beans (or 1 lb)

2 lbs Carrots

2-3 Green Peppers

Season with salt, pepper curry, parsley, if desired, or bouillon, hot or Worcestershire sauce. Cut veggies in small to medium pieces. Cover with water. Boil fast for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until vegetables are tender.

Today I am to eat nothing but fruits. As much as I want, except for bananas. (I will post the full diet in my next blog).

This is how it is going so far (for any of you considering the diet),

I started the day out with a large homemade dirty chai tea and a big bowl of cut up fresh fruit! :P’ Yummm!

For lunch I had a big bowl of the soup (which I stewed for hours yesterday so it was delicious). Throughout the day I have drank lots of fluids and for some reason have actually been able to do so pretty easily. With this diet, you can have as much fruit/ tea/ coffee/ cranberry juice/ and unsweetened juice as you. I have also had a couple of cups of coffee and plenty of water.

By about 2 pm I had peed a whopping 6 times! No wonder this diet has been esteemed to make a person lose so much weight so fast. I feel like I have already peed out the Niagara falls of water weight!

The diet has been pretty easy and tasty. My only uncomfortable moment with it so far is that I got really hungry earlier out of nowhere which surprised me. Because after I ate the soup I was hungry again within an hour. But I ate 4 mandarin oranges and felt great again. So far so good!

I’m going to log my weight every day on the “My Fitness Pal” app and my blog so that I can to see how well this works and share it for any of you who might be interested.